Juanita "Jenny" Carolina Davis

December 16, 1936 - January 21, 2017

Juanita (Jenny) Carolina Davis, our mother grandmother, sister, and beloved friend, passed away peacefully and surrounded by her family on Sunday, January 22, 2017. Juanita was born in Combes, Texas, in 1936 to Abel Contreras and Ana Maria Cavazos. She was the fourth of eleven children born in humble circumstances, and she was named after her maternal and paternal grandmothers. She also had an older sister with the same name who died at the tender age of 14 months. Juanita grew up and went to primary and junior high school in the southeast corner of Texas in the city of Harlingen. Her parents labored hard to provide for their family, and even though their own formal education was limited, Abel and Ana always emphasized the importance of education and of God. Juanita later moved to Indiana to live with her older sister, Ruth, and graduated from Shortridge High School and later attended Latin American Bible Institute in Texas. It was in Indianapolis that she and her future husband, Ed, met at Broadway Baptist Church. She was an amazingly beautiful person in so many ways, so it wasn’t hard to see why Ed would fall in love with her. For the next several years, they raised their three boys, Jeff, Chris, and Randy, in different parts of Indiana until they settled in Indianapolis. She worked in education for many years, but many would see her commitment to God and community as the primary focus of her life. Juanita and Ed both retired at 50 and joined the Peace Corps serving in Honduras and the island of Antigua for several years. After this fulfilling and meaningful service, they became missionaries for the General Baptist International Ministries and spent over three years in Honduras helping build an orphanage called Hogar de Fe (Faith Home) near San Pedro Sula (http://generalbaptist.com/international-missions/the-americas). While there, Juanita helped a group of women earn money to buy their own sewing machines and sew dolls as a means of improving their lives while at the same time, learning about and praising God. Juanita simply believed in enriching people’s lives with the Word of God more than anything else, and she witnessed to people in every moment of her life. Ed and Juanita also performed missionary service in Jamaica and the Philippines. Juanita was later ordained at the Trinity General Baptist Church in Indianapolis. Perhaps one of the most amazing talents that she possessed was her voice, and she used to praise God through song. Her favorites were Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, and I will Trust When I Cannot See. Juanita and Ed returned to Indianapolis to care for Ed’s mother for several years and then later moved to Green Valley, Arizona, where they were active in their local Church. Then, they moved to Utah to live near family until Juanita passed away from the effects of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. We want to express our deepest gratitude for family, friends, and to the staff at Highland Glen Assisted Living for the compassionate and loving care of Juanita during the past year of her life. Juanita leaves behind so many family and friends who love her and are blessed to have been touched by her life. Her viewing will take place on Thursday, January 26, 2017, at 10:00 a.m., at Utah Veterans Cemetery and Memorial Park, 17111 South Camp Williams Road, Bluffdale, Utah followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m.. Interment will take place immediately after the service at the same location.